The Belgian women's national team was very close to one of the biggest surprises in this year's Volleyball Nations League (VNL), but ultimately lost to Brazil 2:3 (22:25,25:22,25:23,22:25,11:15) after a fiercely contested two-hour match.
Despite the defeat, the "Yellow Tigers" earned a valuable point against the second-ranked team in the world and showed an impressive performance just a day after their heavy loss to Turkey.
The victory brought Brazil their sixth consecutive win in the VNL and an undisputed climb to the top of the provisional standings. Belgium remains in 11th place with two wins and 6 points.
Regardless of the dramatic outcome of the match, there were no changes in the world rankings – Belgium maintained its 15th position, and Brazil remains No. 2 in the world.
The start of the match suggested a routine victory for the South Americans. Brazil controlled the first set and won it 25:22.
After that, however, the Belgians radically changed their game. Without their big star Britt Herbots, the responsibility was taken by the young Pauline Martin and Thea Radovic.
Belgium snatched the second set 25:22 after a long chase in the score, and in the third, they achieved an even more impressive comeback. After leading 10:6, the team allowed Brazil to turn the score around to 23:21, but a series of strong serves from setter Elise Van Sas brought them success with 25:23.
Thus, the Belgians took a 2:1 lead in sets and began to dream of an upset against the hitherto undefeated leader.
Brazil, however, showed class in decisive moments. "Seleção" equalized after 25:22 in the fourth set, and in the tie-break, the Belgians even led 9:7. The South Americans, however, stabilized their defense, organized several excellent extended rallies, and with strong blocking, turned the tide. The winning point came after an attack out of bounds by Thea Radovic.
Team Statistics
| Indicator | Belgium | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 58 | 64 |
| Block | 11 | 11 |
| Ace | 4 | 4 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 32 | 31 |
| Total points | 105 | 110 |
Brazil scored six more points in attack, which proved to be the decisive difference in the match. In blocking and serving, the two teams were completely equal, and Belgium even won one more point from opponent's errors. This highlights how evenly matched the encounter was despite the status of the two teams.
| Game element | Belgium | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 117 | 102 |
| Reception | 97 | 92 |
| Organized attacks | 173 | 160 |
Belgium outperforms Brazil in defensive metrics. The 'Yellow Tigresses' recorded more digs, better reception, and more successful attacks, which explains why they managed to push the favorite to a tie-break. It was precisely their aggressive defense and fight for every ball that kept the Europeans in the match until the very last rally.
Top Scorers
Marten was the top scorer on the court with 22 points for Belgium. Radovic added another 18 points.
For Brazil, Julia Bergmann was the top scorer with 19 points, and Ana Cristina finished with 16 points.
Belgium continues its participation in the VNL with matches against Germany and France, which on paper seem more achievable for the team in the battle to climb the rankings. Brazil, on the other hand, will try to maintain its perfect balance and leading position in the tournament.
Photo:volleyballworld.com
